New Year

Happy New Year

Lots of thoughts going into this new year and reflecting on the last.

The last year was very hard but I feel like it was a lot of residual from the year before. With that said I feel like I've grown immensely personally. I completed my goal of going the year without buying any new clothing. That goal lead me in quite a big way into minimalism. I spent December of 2017 going through stuff and getting rid of the things that either I didn't love or they didn't have a purpose. I realized that holiday season that I was so excited about all the stuff I was going to get, and I realized that joy was very fleeting. I started to think more about my life and what I wanted it to look like and I think I have moved closer to that then I've ever felt.

This journey for me was very solo as Ryan had a year of demons. Sometimes when we choose to spend our lives with someone we don't realize that their life is still a separate journey. I have to say this is the first time in our relationship where I feel like I've had to be strong for US. I have a very strong husband who isn't used to life kicking the crap out of him, he's usually up for the challenge, this last couple of years have been different, and hes needed more from me. I think it has been time for me to step up. I've tried and I think we all find ourselves overly critical, there have been places I've succeeded and places I have failed, I'm still here and still trying.

I've learned this year more about being authentic within myself and towards my planet. Going a year without buying clothes has taught me that I don't need a lot of clothes but the clothes that I do have I want to love. I also don't want to buy things that were created in suffering, this feels closer to the earth and I feel most me when I do this. Today I bought my first item of clothing and what I want is to buy things that are sustainable. For me this means either buying used or buying from companies that are ethical. I love my planet and want to direct love to the people who make things even if I don't know them. I also feel a strong sense of accomplishment from finishing this and knowing I can do a thing that was in the beginning particularly hard for me.

For this next year my hope is healing, I want our hearts and our bodies to heal. I have a shoulder injury that I need to pay attention to and really want to care for. I also want this year to be about strength. I want to nurture my body and my mind. I want to climb all the rocks and I want to be strong and fit. I have given up sugar and am eating healthy so we will see. Also, I want to help my husband heal and I want to come out stronger together.

Ending this last year is a bit of a sigh of relief and trepidation going into the next year hoping it'll be kind to us. I was able to spend this holiday season giving and that felt so rewarding I think I'll do it every year. I spent time finding useful things for those that I love and helping some kids get something for Christmas when they might now have otherwise.

Anyways good luck to everyone, wishing you all love peace and health in the next year
-Shea